The cat has been away
by Refuge959
Summary: After being gone for a couple months in America, Adrien is happy to be home. Unfortunately for him, he can't relax just yet. He's got some rats to chase away first. Or- Adrien has to chase some guys away who have been after his girlfriend.
1. Chapter 1

Adrien stood at the bakery's doorstep. He smiled at the sign above his head. Last time he was here there were tears, this time he was determined for there to be smiles and laughter.

Six months ago:

"Leaving?" Marinette whispered as his news washed over her. "I know, my lady, and I hate it. But Father says I have to take it, and in a way, I'd be an idiot to pass it up." He had been offered a very special opportunity to work in a high-profile physics lab in New York. He'd be getting loads of college credit if he took it as well as boosting his resume even higher than it already was. If it wasn't for the fact that he had to leave Marinette here in Paris, he wouldn't have hesitated.

"Your father is right." Marinette said, her voice quiet yet steady. "This is an opportunity you've been dreaming of for a long time." Adrien could see the tears forming at the corners of her eyes. "But- how long?" Her short question told him she was losing her battle to stay calm. He took her hands in his own. "Four months." He said, feeling the heavy atmosphere thicken around him. Marinette nodded silently, and Adrien pulled her to him. "I don't have to take it, you know." He whispered to her. "I don't want to leave you." In Adrien's perfect world, he could have taken Marinette with him. But, he knew that wasn't an option. She was working for his father now, and thriving as he'd never seen her thrive before. He couldn't steal her from that. Besides, even though hawkmoth had been defeated, Paris needed Ladybug.

~End of flashback ~

Adrien stepped through the bakery door and was immediately greeted by familiar sights and smells. The line was long that morning, but Adrien didn't mind. He had planned for it actually. He had told Marinette he was coming back that week, but had never mentioned what day. He so desperately wanted to surprise her. His plan was to stand in line and wait like any other customer, and then order when he got to the counter. He wondered what her reaction would be when she saw him. He could hear her taking orders from behind the counter. It was a Saturday, so she was here instead of at the studio. The line moved forward, and Adrien followed.

He looked around as he waited. Everything was exactly the way he remembered it, from the positions of the tables to the color on the walls.

The other customers hadn't seemed to notice him. His time in New York seemed to have dimmed the light of his fame among the Parisians. He was thankful for that, for it meant no one would be announcing his presence to Marinette before he reached the counter. The line moved up again, only one more customer to go before he saw her.

When the woman in front of him had finally paid for her order and stepped aside, Adrien stepped up and felt his breath catch in his throat. Marinette seemed to be even more beautiful than he remembered.

"How can I help you, today?" She asked, looking up at him absently. Adrien chuckled as he realized she hadn't truly paid enough attention to register who he was. A Chat-Noir smile crossed his lips. "I'll take a Marinette-special, please." Marinette looked down and lifted her hand up to the register, but suddenly froze. "Matinette special" wasn't a menu item. The only person who ever ordered that was-

"Adrien." Marinette whispered, her eyes slowly trailing up his torso and meeting his eyes. "Adrien!" She squealed. She nearly leaned across the counter and as she threw her arms around his neck. Adrien laughed as she muttered unintelligible greetings. Oh, how he had missed her flustered stutters. When she broke their tight embrace, she was beaming at him merrily. "It's so good to see you!" She said, her excitement unbridled. "Oh! Hold on! Papa!" She called to the back, "Can you come take the register?" Mr. Dupain-Cheng came from the kitchen with a confused expression. As his eyes fell upon Adrien, his expression morphed into understanding and joy. "Is that who I think it is?" He asked with a laugh. He pulled Adrien into a tight hug and ruffled his hair for good measure. "It's good to have you back, son! We have to celebrate! Oh, I know! We'll make a cake, or no! Macaroons! Your favorite!" Tom continued to stutter out how best to celebrate Adrien's return. He might have gone on for hours, had an amused chuckle from one of the waiting customers not caught his ear. "Tell you what, You two head on upstairs and after we get all these people taken care of Sabine and I will join you."

Adrien nodded happily as he took Marinette's hand and led her up the stairs into the Dupain-Cheng's apartment. Plagg and Tikki leapt into one another's arms with cheerful voices as soon as they were out of the public eye. Marinette and Adrien giggled at their greeting as the two kwami's phased through the wall and disappeared from their sight.

"Oh! It's so good to be back!" Adrien exclaimed as he flopped down on the couch dramatically, allowing his arms to land wherever gravity took them. Marinette giggled at his antics and bent over the back of the couch with a smile. "I'm glad to see you making yourself at home." She chuckled. Adrien looked up at her with a glorious smile. He raised one of his previously limp arms up to where she leaned over him and tickled the edge of her chin with his finger. "I've missed this place so much. I've missed everything about it, especially you." Marinette blushed at his comment and walked around the couch. He sat up to make room for her and she sat down on the other end.

"About that, Adrien. Do you still...?" Marinette asked, looking down at her fingers.

Adrien looked at her in wonder. He didn't understand why she suddenly felt unsure, but he comforted her none the less. "My life has been so bland without you. I love you, that hasn't changed." Marinette looked up at him with a smile as a look of relief washed over her. "I love you too."

Adrien's smile turned mischievous as he leaned in to her. "So, I take it you didn't find yourself a more perfect guy while I was gone?" His voice was low and teasing. Marinette smirked, "I did not. Guess you're stuck with me." Her words were teasing, but her eyes were sincere. With any underlying fears of having been replaced finally gone, Adrien's smile widen and he moved his hand to Marinette's cheek. He leaned forward, and she did as well.

_**Ding-Dong**_

The two jumped back in surprise. Marinette got up, her cheeks a deep red, and opened the door.

"Oh, Nathaniel?"

Adrien leapt up at the name of the young artist. "Hey, Marinette!" he replied lightly. "I was wondering if you wanted to-"

He spotted Adrien who was now standing just behind Marinette. "Adrien?" He asked suddenly. "You're back from New York?"

Adrien smirked at Nathaniel's sudden nervousness. "I am." He answered, lacing a possessive arm around Marinette's shoulders. He deeply cherished the way Nathaniel scowled at the movement. "Did you need something?" Adrien asked, careful not to chuckle at the redhead and lose his advantage. Nathaniel swallowed nervously, doing his best not to let his old shy tendencies take hold. "Yes, I did." He answered in the strongest voice he could muster. "Marinette, would you like to go with me to the park? I could really use a beautiful model." Adrien scowled at Nathaniel's obvious attempt at flirting with Marinette. He wondered how many times things like this had happened since he'd been gone. Adrien pulled Marinette tighter to himself before slamming the door in Nathaniel's face. A few seconds later they heard muttering and quick footsteps heading down the stairs.

Adrien turned to a stunned Marinette with growing embarrassment.

"So... Nathaniel?" He asked, carefully watching her face. Marinette shrugged, a humorous emotion laying across her features. "I've had to fend off a few interested parties since you left. While the cat is away the mice will play, right?" Adrien smirked, "Mice? How about rats?" Marinette chuckled in response before pecking his cheek gently. "Don't worry princess," Adrien continued, "the cat is back now. I'll be chasing away all of the rats."

The two headed out shortly after, Marinette's parents still busy in the bakery, and found themselves sitting in the park. While Tikki and Plagg chattered to one another in the tree top above them, Marinette laid her head on Adrien's chest. She asked him about his time in America and he happily recounted everything to her. After about thirty minutes, Adrien spotted an ice cream stand not far away and jumped up to go by the two of them some.

Marinette hadn't even been alone for ten seconds when another one of the rats showed his face. This one, however, came with a guitar case and neon tipped hair.

"Hello Marinette." Luka said as he came to stand beside the bench where she was sitting. "Your song is running pretty high tempo, good day today?" Marinette chuckled and nodded. "It's been wonderful. You playing somewhere today?" She asked, noting his guitar case. "Yah, I've got a gig at a café today. Should be pretty low-key. Do you want to come? I always love having you in the audience." His eyes sparkled with hopefulness, and Marinette nodded with a smile. "That sounds fun, I'll ask Adrien if he wants to go." Luka's expression changed instantly. His hopeful smile morphed to one of curiosity's and his eyes narrowed. "Adrien? He's back?" "I sure am." Luka turned towards the approaching voice and smiled gently as he saw his old friend. "Adrien!" He greeted, waving at the former-model. "Hello Luka!" Adrien answered as he handed Marinette her ice cream cone. He smiled back at the musician, eyeing his close proximity to Marinette. "How have you been?" He asked, doing his best to stand between the two. Luka smiled and shrugged. "I've been pretty good. Been staying on beat as best I can. Marinette has been helping with that too. You should have seen the costumes she made for the last gig." Adrien nodded, his smile growing faker by the minute. "I'm sure they were wonderful. I've worn tons of Marinette's designs, and each one is flawless and unique." He winked at Marinette, and smiled triumphantly as she blushed.

Luka continued in an even tone, but Adrien didn't miss the threatening glint in his eye. "I was just telling Mari about my gig today. You two should swing by." Adrien nodded. "That sounds fun, but we won't be able to make it. Marinette's parents were cooking up quite the celebration when we left." Luka nodded and answered in a gentle tone. "Ah, that makes sense. Well, next time maybe. See you two around!" Adrien smiled back, fully aware that Luka's 'see you around' was there to let him know he hadn't given up yet.

Adrien plopped down on the bench, and pulled Marinette down next to him. He cast a glance to his ice cream, thinking of it as his reward for victory.

Plagg descended from the tree's branches cackling maniacally. "Oh my! _Haha_ Of all your fantasies to come true- I can't believe it's this one!" Adrien scowled as he looked at Plagg, and then at Marinette who was chuckling. "Fantasies?" She asked between giggles, "What do you mean, Plagg?"

Adrien shot Plagg a warning glare, which he pointedly ignored. "Oh, you should have heard him on the jet over here! 'oh Plagg, What if Marinette has replaced me? What if some guy has been driving her crazy and I haven't been there to run him off? I guess if that's the case I'll just have to kick his butt down the stairs or something.'"

Adrien blushed in embarrassment as Plagg continue to quote his previous babbles. "I was sleep deprived!" He defended as Marinette's giggles intensified. His protests fell upon deaf ears as Marinette and Plagg continued to laugh. "You really shouldn't be embarrassed, Adrien." Tikki said, floating down from her perch. "Marinette has been muttering about every possible circumstance since you left." Marinette's giggles suddenly subsided as turned deep red. Adrien smirked as he responded to Tikki. "Every possible circumstance? _Paw_-lease enlighten me ,Tikki. Marinette snatched Tikki out of the air as she began to babble. "No! Uh, I mean, that's not necessary. I babbling wasn't anything about! Er! I mean- I wasn't babbling about anything! That would be realistic! I mean- Unrealistic! Why don't we talk about something... else?" Adrien had leaned in close to her. His eyes had a predatory look to them, and his lips were curved in a satisfied smile. Marinette took a deep breath. The sun hit his blonde hair perfectly, giving him an angelic look. Her previous stuttering forgotten, she found herself transfixed by the deep pools of green that were his eyes.

"May I, my lady?" He asked in a low voice that made Marinette's skin crawl. She nodded.

Permission now given, Adrien captured her lips on his own. It was gentle and loving, and he planned on savoring every second. But his plans soon changed as Marinette pulled him closer. She kissed him with a fire. Her lips were sweeter than sugar, and the soft sounds that escaped from her mouth were like beautiful music to his ears. He felt her hands in his hair, and he moved his hands to her side. When they broke apart, he was gasping for air. "Wow," he said, taking in her ruffled appearance and hazy eyes. "I guess you really did miss me." She scowled as he smirked, and soon she had brought her lips against his again. Thinking failed him, and any fear of people seeing them left him as he kissed her. Oh, how long it had been since he had kissed her!

"You know," he said pulling back slightly and fixing his eyes on her intensely. "I think Chat Noir is ready to return to his Lady's side." "He'd better be." Marinette answered in a breathless voice, "Because, Lady Bug has been on her own for far too long." She fingered his ring mindlessly, and he smirked at her. "Shall I _whisker_ you away, Princess? We could do something _claw_-sic like dinner and a movie. Or _purrhaps_ you'd rather we just lock ourselves away in your room and whisper sweet nothings to one another?" He could get drunk off of her blush. She leaned against him, and buried her face in his neck. "I've missed you, so much."

"I've missed you more." He countered, kissing the top of her head. "You know who else has missed you?" She asked him, sitting up a little so that she could look him in the eyes. "My parents." Adrien laughed suddenly, remembering Mr. Dupain-Cheng's earlier proclamation of a celebration. "Yah, we should probably be getting back." He said. "I don't want you getting in trouble for hogging me all to yourself."

(Later)

Sabine watched intently as Adrien ate his dinner. "I do hope you were getting enough to eat in New York. I'd hate to think of you missing a meal." Adrien opened his mouth to respond, only to be interrupted by Tom, "Now, sweetheart, Adrien is quite capable of looking after himself these days. Which he'll need to be capable of doing if he plans on beating me at UMS3 later! I've been practicing. I even managed to almost defeat Marinette the other day!" Adrien laughed, "Lucky for me, I've been practicing too! I won't go easy on you!"

Tom laughed. "It really is good to have you back, son, and I don't just mean that for gaming." "Oh yes!" Sabine piped in, "You're so good to Marinette. I couldn't imagine better. Of course, now that you've come back, you'll be able to deal with those models who have been flirting with Marinette at work too."

Adrien nearly spit out his food at this revelation, and Marinette's face grew warm. Looks like the rats had decided to hold a whole convention while the cat was away.


	2. Chapter 2

**A.N.— Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, and followed! Your support and encouragement really means a lot!**

"How could things have gotten this bad?" Adrien asked, "I was only gone for four months!"

He had been back home for a total of three days, and he'd already had to make it clear to four young men that Marinette was not available. And two of them were just random guys on the street! Plus, He hadn't even had a chance to deal with the "model problem" at the fashion studio yet!

"You are being dramatic." Came his cousin's reply. Adrien glowered at his phone, "Of coarse you'd say that, Felix. I don't know why I'm even telling you about this! You are no help!"

Adrien could hear Plagg chuckling behind him. At least someone was enjoying this situation.

"Adrien. You are not a kid." Felix said in his usual dry tone, "You were gone. It doesn't matter for how long. The way I see it, you need to quit whining and man up. Marinette has stayed loyal to you, you need to get to work showing those jerks _why that is_."

Adrien sighed and rolled his eyes. "So, what? I need to assert my dominance or something?"

Felix hummed an agreement. A soft gargling sound came from his phone, and he assumed Felix had taken a sip of his coffee. "I can't believe you are so casual about this." Adrien complained and spun around in his desk chair. "I can't believe you are being so dramatic." He could practically feel the eye-roll in Felix's voice. Adrien huffed at the repeated insult, choosing not to dignify it with a response.

"I have to go." Felix said without changing his tone, "But good luck with your little problem. Let me know how it goes."

Felix hung up without waiting for a goodbye. Adrien pictured his cousin's self-satisfied grin in his head and growled at the thought.

"I am not being dramatic." Adrien grumbled. "Yes, you are." Plagg chuckled shamelessly. "You couldn't even get to sleep last night before you face-timed Marinette and made her promise to lock all the entrances to her room." Adrien snatched his shoe off of his foot and chucked it in Plagg's general direction. He didn't need any patronizing from a being whose main romantic interest was cheese.

About thirty minutes later, Adrien was in the car heading towards the fashion studio. It was his first day back at model work since he had left, and he was feeling rather anxious. Not about doing the modeling though. He was quite confident in his looks and found it a rather enjoyable thing now that Marinette was there watching the photo shoots. No, the thing currently knotting up his stomach was the other work he would no doubt have to do today: prying his fellow models off of his girlfriend.

As Adrien entered the studio, he was greeted by the familiar sights and sounds he associated with his father's business. Designers were sketching in offices nearby, set designers were piecing together backgrounds for the shoot, and models were shuffling in and out of dressing rooms. He spotted Marinette through her office window, and was thankful to see she was alone. He made his way over, occasionally waving to familiar faces who greeted him, and eagerly turned her office's doorknob. That was when he discovered why she was alone: it was locked.

He knocked on the door and watched through the glass window as she practically fell out of her chair. After scrambling to her feet, she shot over towards the door and opened it, before pulling him inside.

"Good morning!" She chirped happily. "Good morning to you too, princess." Adrien said, smirking and pulling her into a possessive embrace. "Want to see what you'll be wearing in the shoot today?" She asked him excitedly, pulling him over to her desk. He listened happily as she pointed out three or four outfits, and explained their qualities to him. When she was finished, he took her hand in his and squeezed it affectionately. "Their purrfect, my lady. I can't wait to strut down the cat-walk in your meow-velous work."

Marinette gave him a bemused smile, and he took the opportunity to change the subject. "So, why was your door locked?" He asked her, pushing a stray piece of hair behind her ear. She smirked, and jabbed a finger towards the dressing rooms. "I picked up the habit a few weeks after you left. The models can get a bit... curious about what they're wearing." Her smirk grew as Adrien's eyes flashed with fury. Visions of the models drooling over his lady through the window of her office played out before his mind.

He looked at Marinette's smirk and felt a touch of annoyance come over him. She was actually enjoying seeing him get all worked up. He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, bent on wiping that smirk right off her face. He felt her go momentarily rigid in surprise before she melted into him. Marinette broke from Adrien and patted his chest with her hand. She looked flustered, and he loved it. "A bit out of the habit?" He asked, watching in pleasure as a blush spread across her cheeks. "I-I was just surprised." She defended weakly. He leaned down and whispered in her ear, taking care to shape his voice to a tone he knew made her weak in the knees. "Don't worry, princess. I plan on getting you back into it before the week is out."

As he'd hoped, Marinette's balance nearly gave out, and she wrapped her arms around his neck to stabilize herself.

He stroked her burning cheek with his finger, wondering absently what her temperature was at that moment.

A small flash of bright light suddenly woke them from their love-struck daze.

They looked up to find one of the photographers grinning at them through Marinette's window. He waved at them before strutting away and Adrien rolled his eyes. "That's one thing I didn't miss while I was in America." Marinette chuckled as he tickled her nose with his own. "They can't help it, I'm afraid you're picture-perfect." Adrien groaned slightly as Marinette chuckled.

A few minutes later, they left Marinette's office and headed out into the studio. Adrien sighted some of the models watching Marinette out of the corner of his eye. He tightened his grip on her hand and walked towards the shoot manager. After talking to the manager for a few minutes, he discovered that they would only be shooting the men's collection today, which explained the surplus of male models wandering around. Having been given his assignment, he left Marinette beside the manager reluctantly, and headed off towards the dressing rooms.

"Hey, did you see Agreste was back?" Adrien froze, shirt half over his head. "Yah, it's a shame too. His girlfriend is pretty hot." Adrien felt his blood boil as he carefully pulled the shirt past his head and listened as the conversation continued. "She did my measurements last week." One of them whistled, and Adrien's anger reached a boiling point as he pulled his shoes on. "The way she holds her mouth when she's working the measuring tape is soo cute. It took everything I had not to kiss her right there."

Now fully dressed, Adrien shoved through the curtains and wheeled towards where the two rats were talking. They turned to face him, and he smirked as they turned ghost-white. He sized them up quickly. They were a bit shorter than him, and not nearly as muscular.

"Agreste!" One of them said hastily, "How have you been?" Adrien rolled his eyes at the man's attempt to naturalize the encounter.

"Listen closely." He said in a low growl of a voice. "Marinette is _my_ girlfriend. If I hear you talking about her like that again, you will need to find a new career." The other man, a bit braver than his friend, glared at Adrien. "Just because your daddy owns the company doesn't mean you have the authority to fire us." Adrien's smirk returned and he stepped towards the man, a dangerous look in his eye. "Fire you?" He asked in a dark tone. "You misunderstand. I won't have you fired, even though I could." The man was shaking now, his whim of bravery falling flat at the sound of Adrien's voice. "Your face will be so messed up though, you will have _wished_ I had fired you." Adrien turned on his heel then, satisfied with the look of mortal terror he had left on the man's face. He stepped back out into the main hustle of the studio and made his way towards set. A few photographs were already being taken, and Marinette was watching carefully, ensuring that every one of her designs performed perfectly. Or at least- that's what she was trying to do. One of the models who was waiting his turn was standing far too close to her. Even before he was within earshot, Adrien could tell whatever the man was saying to Marinette was not casual. He smirked as she turned and slapped him across the cheek. The man whimpered something as Adrien approached.

"Better head off to make-up again, pretty boy." Adrien remarked catching the man's attention, "It'd be a shame if that mark of justice ruined every picture you were in today." The man looked up at Adrien with a glower and scurried off like the rat he was without another word.

"Welcome back, kitty." Marinette said, relieved that she was no longer standing against these rats on her own. "That looked like a pretty well-practiced slap." He said, sending her a teasing gaze. "It is." She answered, going back to her work with a slightly prideful grin. Adrien made sure to stand close by as he waited his turn. Not so close as to distract her, but close enough to make his claim obvious to anyone who dared come close.

When it was Adrien's time to get in front of the camera, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't putting in some extra effort. He loved the way Marinette blushed as she watched him pose. He loved the way she smiled when he met her eyes. Her presence enough made him put in everything he had. Today, however, there was extra motivation. He could see the way the other models glared at him each time Marinette blushed. He could tell they felt threatened as he shot the camera his perfect smile. He knew they were seething, and he planned to savor their downfall.

When the photographer finally signaled to him that he was done, he approached a still very red Marinette. "Looks like you've still got it." She said, trying hard to swallow the flustered shake her voice desperately wanted to have. "Did you ever doubt me?" He asked, sending her his trademark smile. She giggled and he kissed her cheek, knowing full well his smile had turned love-struck and goofy. That's when he noticed they were being watched.

The models he had threatened earlier, as well as a few others, were glaring at him profusely. A sudden idea came to his head as Felix's words replayed in his mind: _Marinette has stayed loyal to you. You need to get to work showing those jerks why that is._

With a determined glint in his eye, Adrien leaned closer to Marinette. Hoping to convey to her his plan, he flicked his eyes to their audience before sending her a quick and meaningful wink. Marinette's expression slowly blossomed into understanding, and Adrien put his plan into action. He pulled her closer to him and planted a deep and passionate kiss against her lips. He smiled as he felt Marinette match his movements and run her fingers through his hair. It was a quick kiss really, but it sent the desired message loud and clear. When Adrien looked up at his fellow models again, he narrowed his gaze at them daring any of them to challenge him. One by one they all shrank away.

"Well, kitty." Marinette breathed with a chuckle. "I think that should keep the rats at bay for a little while." Adrien sighed and kissed her forehead. "You know what would really keep them at bay?" He asked her, a slight tease to his voice. "Wedding rings." Marinette spluttered in surprise: "W-What? Wedding rings? I don't think that's the solution we should be looking for. Not that I don't want to marry you! Actually, I really want to marry you! Just not now! Not as in I no longer want to marry you, I still do. Just that I don't think getting married right now is a good idea." Adrien let her babble without interruption. He loved the way she played with her hair as she stumbled across her words. He pecked her lips once she finished, cherishing the way her eyes rounded at the suddenness of it. "Don't worry, I know what you mean. One day we will be happily married and raising little kittens of our own, but for now we are young and still living with our parents." Marinette chuckled as his sentiment turned practical. As much as she respected Adrien's father, she was certain she didn't want to live in the same house as her boss right after she got married. "Although," Adrien continued with a look of mock contemplation, "I have been saving up for an apartment." Marinette swatted his shoulder at the notion, and he laughed heartily as her face reddened.

The rest of the day went on without incident. Marinette and Adrien finished up the shoot without any more interruptions from cocky, pretty boy models and decided they would go out to dinner in celebration. Everything was going perfectly.

At least until the waiter decided to flirt with Marinette while Adrien was in the bathroom.


	3. Chapter 3

They were standing at the bakery's front door. "Thank you for bringing me home." Marinette whispered to him pleasantly. Adrien kissed her lightly and rested his forehead against her own. "Well, after what happened at dinner, I wasn't about to let you walk home on your own, Princess." Marinette giggled, "I've never seen a waiter run so fast before." Adrien smirked as the memory returned to him, "He deserved to be afraid."

~That evening at dinner~

"Is everything to your liking, Mademoiselle?"

Marinette looked up at she and Adrien's waiter with a smile. "Very much so." She answered, smiling at him appreciatively. "Will you be having dessert with us tonight?"

Marinette glanced down at her half full plate before answering, "No thank you, I don't think we'll be wanting dessert tonight." The waiter's face visibly fell. "That's a shame, Mademoiselle. I was hoping to keep your beautiful face in the restaurant a little longer." Marinette's smile faltered momentarily. "Well, thank you, but the answer is still no." The waiter shrugged playfully before casting her a wink. "A man can hope. It's not often I get to speak to such high quality women, like yourself." Marinette's hand drummed against the table nervously. "I'm sorry, but I really don't think my boyfriend would appreciate-"

"Excuse me." Marinette turned her head at the sound of the familiar voice, a thankful smile washing across her face. The waiter gulped.

Adrien stood a few paces back from the table. His eyes narrowed at the waiter in disapproval. He took a step forward, and the waiter took a step back.

"I am going to count to three." He warned in a serious tone, "If you aren't gone by the time I reach three, I'm going to take that apron of yours and shove it down your throat. One." The waiter darted quickly to the kitchen, and Adrien sat back down casually.

~End of flashback~

Adrien and Marinette smiled happily at one another under the bakery's awning, both tired, but neither willing to part just yet. "You should go home." Marinette said with a slightly sad twinge to her voice. "You're right." Adrien answered, making no move to act on her suggestion. Instead, he kissed her lips gently, dragging out each movement for as long as he could stand. After some minutes, he finally parted from her and watched as she went inside.

~The next day~

Kitty Section was performing their new album. When Marinette had asked him about going to the concert where their friends would be performing, Adrien immediately jumped at the chance. Now, he found himself standing amongst the ecstatic crowd, cheering along with them as his friends rocked out on their instruments. Beside him, Marinette was singing along with a wide smile. Adrien could tell as her eyes flicked from one band-member to another, that she was keeping an eye on their costumes- her own design. Adrien couldn't help but smile in pride. For over an hour, the band rocked non-stop. Every guitar rift and drum solo made the crowd cheer wildly. Every lyric was performed with perfection. But after a while, the lights came up slightly, and Rose, Ivan, and Juleka headed off stage. Luka stepped up to the mic.

"Hello, everyone!" He said, receiving a cheer from the crowd in response. "As the rest of the band prepares for the finale, I thought I would stay and play a little something I've been working on. Would you like to hear it?" Another cheer. Luka was an expert at working the crowd, but Adrien had a strange feeling he wasn't really talking to the room of fans.

Luka adjusted his grip on his guitar and began to strum a slower, steady rhythm. The crowd's cheer hushed as he started, anticipation gripping them.

_For a very long time, I'd been in love with rhyme. All morning, all night, that was on my mind. __But since you came around, my days are upside down and my nights are spent dreaming of you_.

Adrien felt his smile die. Surely he wouldn't? Not while he was standing right there? He glanced to Marinette who was still smiling, unaware of the anxiety blooming in his chest.

_Every word I write, screams your name left and right. Girl, how can I play? Your songs on repeat everyday! All I can think of now is you._

Adrien felt his hand form into a fist. Several young girls in the crowd cheered. He was thankful Marinette wasn't one of them.

_Oooh! Let it be! Ooohhh! Girl, look at me!_

_Won't you put me out of my misery!_

_It breaks my heart to see you, laughing at his perfect smile!_

_I promise you, I'd be so true! I'd go every single extra mile!_

_I'd treat your heart, with perfect care. I'd follow you anywhere!_

_Girl, please, oh please, won't you set me free!_

Marinette's smile was exchanged for a look of confusion. She watched as the young women in the crowd went crazy. Was this just another song? Or was Luka singing about someone in particular?

_The melody your heart plays is crazy, yes it's true. But every time I hear it, it's so perfectly you. You are midnight hair, artistic flair, a touch of drama too. Your bluebell eyes fill with surprise, and girl I want to kiss you!_

Adrien had no doubt now. Luka was staring hard at Marinette. He was laying it all on the table, and poor Marinette was frozen in shock.

_Every word I write, screams your name left and right. Girl, how can I play? Your songs on repeat everyday! All I can think of now is you._

_Oooh! Let it be! Ooohhh! Girl, look at me!_

_Won't you put me out of my misery!_

_It breaks my heart to see you, standing there by his side!_

_I promise you, I'd be so true! Girl, my love, I cannot hide!_

_I'd treat your heart, with perfect care. I'd follow you anywhere!_

_Girl, please, oh please, won't you set me free!_

Marinette shook herself free of her shock as the chorus repeated. She didn't know what to think. She was angry, furious actually, that Luka was pulling such a bold stunt. Yet, at the same time, she knew he didn't get to choose who he fell in love with. As she decided between pity and anger, Adrien was deciding how best to kill Luka. Friend or not, he had just crossed a serious line. The tune changed slightly, and Adrien growled as the bridge began.

_I know you say he loves you. I know you say it's true. But what am I to do, oh girl, about how much I love you too? It's cruel of me, to make this scene, but I can't contain it anymore. Your perfect boy may bring you joy, but I can give you so much more!_

The crowd erupted. Cheers and shouts rang through the room. Adrien saw a girl on the front row faint. He couldn't believe the reaction. Didn't these people realize that it was his girl Luka was singing too? He felt Marinette lay her hand on his fist. He looked down at her helplessly and interlocked their fingers.

_Oooh! Let it be! Ooohhh! Girl, look at me!_

_Won't you put me out of my misery!_

_It breaks my heart to see you, laughing at his perfect smile!_

_I promise you, I'd be so true! I'd go every single extra mile!_

_I'd treat your heart, with perfect care. I'd follow you anywhere!_

_Girl, please, oh please, won't you set me free!_

The song finished with a flourish and the crowd's cheers grew ever louder. Luka thanked them with a laugh as the rest of Kitty Section came out to play the finale.

After the concert, Adrien and Marinette headed backstage. Rose, Juleka, and Ivan were chattering excitedly, Luka was no where to be seen.

Marinette and Adrien congratulated their friends excitedly. "You guys were great!" Adrien told them, trying to focus on the emotional high most of the concert had put him on. "Oh! Thank you, Adrien!" Rose answered, "When we heard that Marinette was bringing you with her tonight, we were so excited! You've been gone forever!" Adrien nodded with a smile, inwardly noting the way Juleka's eyes trailed off. He imagined not everyone was excited to hear he was coming. However, he didn't get much time to dwell on that. Rose and Ivan had begun trying to convince him that he should play with them at their next concert. He was so busy trying to deal with their attempts, that he didn't notice Marinette slip off.

When he had finally silenced Rose's begging with a "I'll think about it." He looked around for his beloved, and found she was no where around. He looked to Juleka with a silent question on his lips. Her gaze faltered momentarily, before she nodded towards a door off behind them.

Adrien nodded his thanks before heading towards the door.

When he reached it, he heard voices inside, and his hand froze on the knob at the words he was hearing. "But how do you know he's the one you want if you won't even give me a chance, Mari?" Luka's voice, though muffled through the door, was pleading and desperate.

"Do you even hear yourself?" Adrien heard Marinette ask, her own voice sounding slightly angry. "I love Adrien, Luka. I'm sorry you feel this way, I really am! But you can't keep doing things like this. I thought I told you that I didn't want-" "To hurt me? Sorry, Mari, but it's too late for that. You're in my head, in my music; Mari your even in my dreams!"

"Luka that's enough! You can't blame me for how far you've fallen. I care about you, I really do. But this has to stop. You're only hurting yourself!"

"You sure about that?" The tone of Luka's voice had changed. It was lower now, almost primal. That's when Adrien lost it.

He threw open the door to the practice room. The door smacked against the wall, shaking the entirety of the room. The scene before him boiled his blood. Marinette was sitting in one of several arm chairs. Luka had a hand on each armrest, trapping the girl. He was looking at Adrien now with a fearful expression, but by the color of Marinette's face Adrien guessed he had been rather close to her before he interrupted.

"Adrien." Luka said hastily, backing off of Marinette. "This isn't what it looks like!" Marinette gave an indignant shout of "Yes, it is!" But Adrien didn't even hear her. He was marching towards Luka with a deadly stare. Luka tried to step away, but Adrien quickly grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and shoved his back against the wall.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't end you right now."

Luka looked at Adrien in fear. "I-I'm your friend!" He said with a slight choke in his voice. Adrien's grip on his shirt tightened. "Then you should know better." Adrien pulled Luka off the wall before slamming him back against it. He got no pleasure from Luka's gasp of pain.

"Adrien, that's enough." The two men snapped their attention to Marinette. She was standing in the middle of the room watching the exchange with great interest. "I think he gets the point." She spoke in a steady, calm voice. Adrien released him reluctantly, and walked towards Marinette. He stood beside her, lacing his arm possessively around her waist as Luka recovered. Marinette held Adrien steadily in her gaze. "Feel better?" She asked him, with a touch of playfulness in her eyes. "Almost." He said, in a dark sort of whisper. "I'd really love to give him a black eye as a reminder."

Marinette shook her head slowly, a fond smile coming over her lips. "Let the rat go, kitty. You've made your point. Besides, you'd regret hurting him later." Adrien doubted that, but her calm tone was infectious. She ran her fingers through his hair, and Adrien felt his anger melt away. He was always surprised at the power she held over him.

"It's time to go home, kitty." Adrien nodded, kissing her cheek and pulling her out of the small room. They left Luka behind, sparring only a friendly wave to their other friends. They didn't speak again until they got to the car.

"So, I probably shouldn't have confronted him alone."

Marinette was staring at her fingers, nervously glancing towards Adrien every few seconds. Adrien sent her a fond smile, and took her hand in his. "I know why you did. I'm just glad I got there when I did. It looked like things were getting out of hand." Marinette nodded, finally meeting his eyes.

"I was losing footing in the argument, and he was well... you saw." Adrien leaned towards her. "Yeah, I saw." He repeated, in an aggravated huff. Adrien was studying her face closely now. He could make out several emotions on he delicate features: sadness, pity, relief, anger. But what currently caught his eye was the slight smirk on her lips.

"My lady!" Adrien said, in a mock tone of shock, "If I didn't know better, I'd say you enjoyed this cat's efforts at protecting his territory." Her smirk shifted to a shy smile and a glorious blush crept up her cheek. "You do!" Adrien exclaimed before lowering his voice. "Well, puurhaps you should give this cat a treat for his efforts then?" Marinette rolled her eyes at his word choice before closing the distance between them. The kiss was short and sweet, but it left Adrien breathless just the same.

"That enough of a treat for you, kitty?" Marinette asked him teasingly. "Or do I need to go buy some catnip?" Adrien laughed and pulled her back towards him, resting his forehead on her own.

"Just promise me something, Bug." "Anything kitty." Adrien pulled back slightly, and brought Marinette's hand to his lips, kissing it gently. "Promise me that if there's ever a rat chasing you again, you will tell me." Marinette nodded, her smile softening. "I promise, Adrien."

They drove home that night discussing the more positive side of the concert. Marinette laughed as Adrien praised Ivan's rampaging drum solo, and Adrien couldn't help but chuckle at Marinette's attempts to imitate Rose's singing. When they arrived back at the bakery, Marinette was reluctant to get out of the car, and Adrien hated the thought of her getting out. Only when he had kissed her passionately and they had promised to see one another at the studio tomorrow did Marinette finally get out of the car and head into the bakery.

That night, Adrien was sleepless. His mind was tracing the ups and downs of the night as he lay in bed. He relived slamming Luka into the wall, and was glad now that he hadn't seriously hurt him. Not that he wouldn't have deserved it. He assured himself.

His phone vibrated on his night stand, and with a grunt he rolled over and picked it up.

**_Nino- Dude, have you seen this?_**

Adrien opened the message, and found Nino had also sent a link to a news article from a popular celebrity news magazine. He read the headline and felt all of his muscles tighten:

**Pretty girls beware, Gabriel's has a hot new designer**

Adrien skimmed the article carefully, liking it less and less the more he read. Marinette's name graced every paragraph, his own coming up a few times as well. The article made his blood boil. Every other sentence seemed to make a comment on the perfection of her figure, or how easily she could pick up a man. Another ping from his phone alerted him to a second message from Nino.

_**Nino- Alya found it a few minutes ago. She wants to know if she should tell Mari.**_

Adrien felt a growl brewing in his chest. He wasn't going to allow this type of article to run wild. Yet, the last thing he wanted was for Marinette to find out about it like this. Not after what had gone down at the concert. Calming himself down as best he could, he typed out an answer to Nino.

_**Adrien- Tell her not to worry about it. I'll handle it**_.

He then set down his phone and got out of bed. "Plagg." Adrien called, waking the sleeping kwami. "Claws out."

A.N.- The song Luka sings is original to this fic. I was a little nervous about it, but I think it fits really well.


	4. Chapter 4

In hindsight, Adrien probably should have waited till he had cooled off a bit before he confronted the writer of that horrid article. He probably should have waited until it was daylight. It may have also been a good idea to confront him as Adrien Agreste, and not Chat Noir. But did our hero do any of these things?

No, He did not.

Instead, he perched on the window sill of the author's apartment at 1:00 am, in full Chat Noir regalia. It had taken him less than five minutes to pull up the author's address on his cat phone, as well as a bit of personal information. To his relief, the man was young, single, and didn't have any children. As angry and sleep deprived as he was, Adrien hated the idea of barging in on a man with a wife and children in the middle of the night.

His enhanced vision allowed him to see into the apartment with brilliant clarity. He could make out the perpetrator sitting in front of his computer, typing what was probably another horrid celebrity gossip story.

Chat Noir fingered the window in front of him, and smirked when he found it partly open. Not only was the guy a horrible reporter, but he was an idiot too. Not that a locked window would have stopped Chat that night, but the less evidence he could leave that he was actually there the better. He may be a superhero, but he was pretty sure defending his girlfriend wasn't a legally supported reason for breaking and entering.

Carefully and silently, Chat pulled the window the rest of the way open and slipped inside, landing silently on the floor of the man's office. Adrien glanced around his surroundings to get a better feel of the area. There were no pictures or shelves on the walls of the small room. Just a desk, a chair, a rug, and a filing cabinet. Adrien turned his attention to the desk in front of him, where the writer was typing with a slightly eager speed on a laptop, as if he was enjoying every word he put on the page.

Chat Noir stalked closer to him and peered over his shoulder, still unknown to his prey.

Chat had been right, the man was typing another stupid gossip article. The headline was written in big bold letters across the top of the page:

**Is Adrien Agreste scrambling to hold on to ****Gabriel's****?**

Chat rolled his eyes at that one. He was used to magazines making up lies about him. After all these years, it really didn't bother him anymore. But the twisted logic people used when putting such articles together often peeked his interest and so, out of curiosity, he read the first sentence:

**An inside source tells us that Marinette Dupain-Cheng is set to inherit ****Gabriel's****. Could her romance with Adrien Agreste be the model's effort to keep from losing his claim to his father's company?**

Chat had never wanted to slap a writer so much in his life. Of course Marinette was set to inherit his father's company! She was going to marry him, and he was inheriting his father's company! And while he was on the subject, what would he care if his father gave the company to her? He had no interest in fashion. If anything, he would rather see his father's company in the hands of a skilled designer than in his own.

Deciding he had had utterly enough of observing his prey, Chat Noir decided to finally alert the man to his presence. He moved his face closer to the man's ear.

"Don't you have better things to be doing?"

Screaming, the man jumped out of his chair and fell to the floor with a clatter that not even Marinette could have pulled off. He looked up at the emerald green eyes which were peering down at him, and scrambled backwards as if they belonged to a monster who had come to devour him. He only stopped scrambling when his back hit the wall.

"C-Chat Noir?" He said in a very unmanly squeak of a voice. "W-What?" The man swallowed and continued his question in a more natural tone. "What are you doing here?"

Chat Noir spun his baton in his fingers and the rat watched it with a fearful expression.

"I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd swing by." His tone was light enough, but his eyes betrayed his far more threatening intentions. The man gulped, his face paper white. "I-I haven't done anything!" His words sounded true, but Chat knew a practiced lie when he heard it.

"That's not what I heard." Chat said, darkening his tone. "A friend told me you'd been preying on Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

The man's fear changed instantly to confusion. "Wait, so this isn't about the photos I took of you and Ladybug?"

Chat stopped twirling his baton suddenly, and the man's eyes widened as he realized his mistake. "N-not that I took any photos." But it was too late to back-track. Chat Noir grabbed the man off the floor, righted the fallen chair, and shoved him into it. "Show me." He demanded. The man began to reach for the computer mouse but stopped. "N-No!" He stated in what he clearly believed was a firm voice. "This is an invasion of privacy! I know my rights, this is breaking and entering!" Chat spun the man around in his chair, moving him so that they were face to face.

"Listen here, _rat_." He hissed out. "This cat stops at nothing in defense of his Lady. If you have photos of she and I that I should be concerned about, you show them to me right now or I throw you out the window. Understand?"

Usually, Chat wouldn't have put so much effort into recovering pictures of Ladybug and himself. After all, there were millions of those. But by the way this man was acting, he was a bit afraid their identities might be in jeopardy.

The man hadn't respond. Rather, it seemed to Chat, he was hoping to make him back down with a deadly stare. Unluckily for the man, Chat Noir didn't have time for a staring contest.

He snatched the man by the arm and in a swift movement shoved him through the window. The only thing that kept the man from falling to the ground was Chat's firm hold on his belt.

"Why are you fully dressed at 1 am anyway?" Chat asked, his tone turning to the very one he was famous for as he beheld the man's panicked form dangling a few stories over the street below. "Were you planning on heading out or something? Here, don't let me stop you." He loosened his grip on the man's belt and got a terrified scream in response.

"Alright, tuff guy, you gonna help a cat out? Or do you need a cold hard reminder of your manners? I hear sidewalk is a great teacher."

The man screamed again, before babbling out strings of apologies and promises. He was whimpering in Chat Noir's grasp, a pathetic spectacle in the claw of a night prowler. After letting him hang for a few seconds more, Chat Noir pulled him back inside and nearly threw him into the office chair.

"Now. Show me."

The man hastily typed in a few description words in his file search bar, and very soon brought up a photo file. "Open it." Chat said, prodding the man with his claw when he hesitated. The man opened the file and held his breath as the photos loaded and opened up on the screen. Chat breathed a silent sigh of relief. Their identities were safe. The photos in question would still have made his Lady turn a lovely shade of crimson though. For the sake of his efforts more than anything else, He connected his baton to the computer and uploaded the photos. Then he deleted them from the man's server. He heard a whine from the man at that, but he felt he deserved it.

"Now, about miss Dupain-Cheng."

The author's hand twitched nervously as Chat Noir looked at the draft of the article he had been working on earlier. "What business is it of yours what these two love birds do?"

The man narrowed his gaze trying to fight off his fear. "Why do you care what I write about? She is fashion's latest celebrity. People eat stories like this up. It's how I get paid."

Chat looked at the man dangerously. Then, without breaking his eye contact, he deleted the entire draft.

"I've got a story for you." He said, in the same venomous tone he had used right before dangling the man from the window. "Here's the headline: Celebrity gossip writer admitted to ER with two broken hands and a fractured larynx."

The man paled, "You- You wouldn't!" Chat shrugged and drummed his talons on the desk. "Oh, I would. With two broken hands you couldn't write any articles, and with a fractured larynx you wouldn't be able to tell lies, or anything else for that matter." The man gulped and Chat reveled in his terror.

"Now, This is how things are going to be. You won't write about Miss Dupain-Cheng again. There are plenty of reputable writers in the world praising her in print, we don't need your horrid opinion gumming up her success. If I find out you wrote about her again, your life is gonna get a lot scarier. Understand?"

The man nodded. "Good." Chat said, continuing to hold the man in his dark and deadly gaze. "Now where is your camera?" "M-my camera?" "You heard me. Where is it?"

The writer didn't hesitate as he pointed towards the top of the filing cabinet. Chat Noir reached over and grabbed the rather nice camera. He turned it on and began to scroll through the camera's memory. He deleted every picture he found of Marinette, Ladybug, or himself in any form. He even deleted a few shots of people he didn't know, who probably had no idea their photo had ever been captured by the man cowering before him. When he was done, he shut off the camera and set it down before stalking towards the window.

As he put his foot on the window sill, he paused to peer back at the man behind him. "Don't make me have to come back here again. The next time this alley cat comes around I'm bringing Ladybug with me, and trust me, she won't go nearly as easy on you."

With that he leapt out of the window, propelling himself skyward.

He originally planned on heading home, but suddenly an idea came to him, and he decided to make one more stop before heading home.

Alya's bedroom light was on. The young reporter was prone to late nights, especially when she had a story she was dying to let the world know. The Ladyblog had become the most trusted source of news related to anything Ladybug and Chat Noir, and she was doing everything in her power to keep it that way.

The soft knock at her window startled her, but she soon smiled excitedly when she spotted Chat Noir standing on the fire escape. She opened the window without hesitation and stuck her head out to speak to him. "Well this is a surprise. What can I do for Paris' favorite feline?" Chat smirked, "I was hoping you could write me a world-class story."

Alya's eyes lit up in delight. "Of course I can! What kind of story do you need?" "Just a short one." He answered with a smirk, "Just enough to give me an alibi for tonight." He scrolled through the photos saved on his baton as he spoke, and Alya gave him a suspicious look. "An alibi?" She questioned, "What have you been up too?" Alya heard her phone ding, as Chat put down his baton. The look in his eyes was tired, yet mischievous. "Nothing much, just stalking here and there. Nothing worth getting your hackles up over." Alya planted her hands on her hips. "If that's so, Then what's the alibi for?" Chat was beginning to feel like he was running circles. "Do you want to write the article or not?" Alya raised her hands in surrender before letting her smile creep back onto her lips, "Okay, okay, what's the headline?"

Chat's smirk returned. "It should be enough of a prompt for you: Chat Noir is picking up right where he left off. The photo I sent to your phone should help."

With that, Chat vaulted away. Alya rushed to her phone to find she did indeed have a message from an unknown number. A single photo had been sent: Ladybug and Chat Noir perched on the top of her old school, in the middle of a passionate kiss under the moonlight.

Alya looked out her window, wondering what on earth had happened that Chat wanted overshadowed by the article she was about to type up. Of course, she was confident Paris would eat up the news that Chat Noir and Ladybug were still together after Chat's unexplained absence. But the questioned still remained, what on earth had Chat done?

Adrien flopped down on his bed with a satisfied huff. If that idiot of a rat tried to put out an article about how Chat had broke into his house to shake him up, no one would pay it any mind. Alya's story would have all of Paris' attention for a while.

Sure, Marinette was going to be quite cross after Alya told her about his visit, but he had a feeling he would survive that conversation.


	5. Chapter 5

So far, Adrien's day had gone surprising well. When he had taken Marinette breakfast at the studio that morning, she hadn't said a word about his escapades of the night before. This had him a bit on edge at first. He wondered if maybe she was only waiting for the right time to confront him. But, when she gave him no reasons to believe that she had any idea of the incident, he decided to relax and enjoy their time together.

But this still raised a question in him: why didn't she know? He knew Alya had already posted the article, and it already had thousands of views. Of course, she had left out the part where he had stopped by and asked her to write it, so perhaps Marinette assumed it was an ordinary blog post? Still, Adrien had a feeling Alya would call Marinette and tell her about his visit before long.

Now, he was sitting in his room doing a bit of apartment hunting. Sure, living at home was practically living on his own. But, his time in New York had given him a taste of true freedom, and he was determined to have that same level of autonomy in his home city. Plus, he knew he and Marinette would be married one day, and when that day came they were gonna need a place to live. So, why not lay the groundwork for that now?

A knock at his door brought a fond smile to his face. He recognized the soft, yet audible, sound and habitual rhythm of Marinette's hand against his door. "Come in!" He shouted to her, as he quickly scrolled past his "must-have" list. He wasn't quite sure that he wanted Marinette to know he had been looking for apartments with double-vanity sinks just yet. Especially if she was here to scold him.

When she walked into his room, Marinette had a cool, calm demeanor about her. Too cool and calm. There was a slight look in her eyes that reflected a deep suspicion, but he doubted a stranger could notice it.

"Hey, you busy?" She asked, her tone gentle and innocent.

"Never too busy for you, Princess." Adrien tried to sound oblivious, but his voice was saturated with unease. "How can your valiant knight help you today?" He stood from his chair and bowed to her dramatically. His worry ramped up when she didn't laugh at his antics.

Marinette shrugged and walked towards the couch. "I just wanted to ask you about something Alya said when I talked to her a few minutes ago."

Adrien nodded as he too headed towards the couch. He was sure he detected a hint of sharpness in his Lady's tone.

"What did she say?" He asked as he sat down next to her. Marinette started drumming her fingers on her knee.

"Well," She began slowly, "she said Chat Noir came by her apartment last night and asked her to write that article on the Ladyblog. He gave her the cover picture too."

"Oh, did he now?" If there was anything Adrien knew for certain it was this: whenever Marinette referred to 'Chat Noir' as a separate person than himself she was either A) about to kiss him senseless, or B) About to kill him. He was pretty sure it wasn't option A this time.

"Yes, he did." Marinette said, her tone growing more impatient by the moment. "She also said it was supposed to cover something up. Adrien, what on earth were you up too last night?!" Adrien cringed. As prepared as he thought he was for this, boy he was wrong.

"Well... I was, um..." "Yes?" Marinette's tone was sharp and Adrien had nowhere to run. And so, with a very uneasy tone of voice, he began the entire chronicle that had led up to his meeting with Alya the night before. Marinette nodded slowly throughout. Showing little emotion throughout the story, except when he had told her about dangling the man from the window. That had earned him a cringe. When he finished, she was silent and her face was expressionless.

"I see." Was the answer she gave him after some time had passed. He fidgeted in the tenseness of the moment, fingering his ring mindlessly. A million results flew past his mind, and very few of them ended well.

"I don't know whether to kiss you or to fuss at you Adrien." She admitted without meeting his eyes, "Your action was wrong, very wrong. But at the same time, you did it in my defense, and that's really sweet."

Adrien breathed in relief, shifting closer to her and pulling her hand towards his mouth. "But-" Marinette snatched her hand from his, using it to point at him accusingly. "That was incredibly stupid! What if you had dropped the guy? Or what if he had connected why you were so worried that he was writing about me? Chat Noir has no business defending Marinette Dupain-Cheng! Or what if he had reported it to the police? You could have been arrested!"

"That's right!" Adrien heard a familiar squeaky voice say. Tikki had left her refuge in Marinette's purse and was floating in front of his face now. She looked incredibly cross.

"Your actions were incredibly reckless, Adrien. I'm beginning to think that letting you take Plagg to America with you was a bad idea. His reckless behavior is rubbing off on you more and more!"

Adrien gawked at the red Kwami before him. Had he really adopted Plagg's recklessness? The very idea shocked him.

"Oh give it a rest, Sugar Cube! The kid didn't hurt anybody!" Plagg interjected, "That guy needed a good shake-up anyway. Besides, he wasn't completely stupid! He had Alya post that article so no one would pay attention if the guy decided to complain. And, even if he did tell the police, Alya's blog says Chat Noir and Ladybug were out all night being all lovey dovey and gross. So who would believe him?" Plagg made a gagging gesture before stuffing his face with cheese. The little guy chewed heedless of the group's shocked silence and it wasn't until Tikki shouted at him angrily did he show any interest in the three again. She lunged at Plagg in a frustrated grumble. But Plagg, acting quickly, blitzed away to hide in the bathroom. Tikki chased him, scolding as she went and leaving Marinette and Adrien alone.

Adrien looked at Marinette, whose eyes were still looking with concern towards the bathroom where Plagg's muffled cries could be heard. He leaned towards her and gently pivoted Marinette's head towards him so that she was staring straight at him. She blushed at their proximity.

"He's gonna be fine." Adrien said in a low voice, knowing full well that Tikki would never hurt Plagg, regardless of how much she wanted too. "But I need to know that we're fine. I'm sorry that I got so carried away. I've been so impulsive since I got back. Can you forgive me?"

A soft smile grew on Marinette's lips. "Of course." She whispered in response. Adrien couldn't even hear Plagg's screams of terror anymore as he leaned in to Mari and gently brushed his lips against hers. "But you know, I do like my impulsive, jealous kitty." Marinette said with a smile, scooting back a bit. "As long as he doesn't do anything illegal again." She tapped his nose, beginning a stampede of memories in Adrien's mind. He smirked at her, "Oh really?" He asked, his fear now gone. "Well _puurhaps_ I'll continue being your jealous kitty. Or even better, your _green eyed monster_."

Marinette chuckled as her cheeks became a glorious shade of pink, "You're a lot of things, my kitty, but a monster? More like a house cat."

"House cat?" Adrien asked, feigning offense. "Do I need to prove myself, my lady?" He slid closer to her again, doing his best to roll his shoulders in a cat-like motion.

Marinette snatched the throw-pillow from beside her and smacked it across his face, stunning him. She began giggling uncontrollably, and Adrien blinked in a light daze. "Hey!" He shouted, as the realization washed over him. Marinette was laughing heartily now, buckling over in her seat as Adrien looked at her with a pouty expression. He stared at her indignantly, but she hadn't yet stopped laughing enough to notice. Suddenly, an idea crossed Adrien's mind.

As Marinette guffawed, he leaned forward and caught her in his arms. She looked up in sudden surprise, and he took advantage of her position, catching her lips in his own. Her surprise melted, and soon she was returning his affections.

Adrien wondered to himself how he ever got so lucky. His lady was amazing. She was talented, loving, brave, heroic, and most importantly she was his. He wasn't sure what he had done to prove himself worthy; why, out of all the guys who fell at her feet, she would choose him. But in that moment he didn't care. She was his, and his alone. He felt her deepen the kiss, and his mind went nearly blank as he began acting on impulse once again. Only one clear thought remained-

This cat would never go away again.

**A.N.- And so, we draw the curtain. Man, this has been fun. Thank you so much to everyone who has kept up with this. When I first started this, I never imagined it would get this kind of support. I hope it has been as much fun for you guys as it has been for me. **


End file.
